Day 3 - Wednesday 30 June 2010

Students completed the entire sketch this morning. Once the sketch was completed the students began to fill in with color.

Process:

Day 2 - Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Today we finished the grid by adding the horizontal lines to the wall. Now that the grid is done it's on to the art making! Using chalk and beige paint we started sketching the drawing up on the wall.

Process:

Getting the reference material ready for sketching.

Day 1 - Monday, 28 June 2010

The first day of the Mural Team started off with priming the entire wall with a cream color paint.

Almost done with the first coat, one more to go...

Once the wall was primed, the wall was measured in 1 foot increments at the top and bottom horizontal edge of the wall, and across the wall vertically.

The next step in the process was to grid the wall, starting with the vertical lines.

Even though it was a hot first day, the team worked very hard and completed all of the vertical grid lines. Great work team!

MEET THE TEAM

Nicki

I was recommended for the mural team by my art teacher Mrs. O'Brien. I'm here because I'm working and getting paid for what I'm passionate about, but at the same time I'm getting the experience and I'm learning. I have been interested in art my whole life and have always wanted to incorporate it into my future career. Next year I will be taking AP Art. It will be my determining factor in choosing between art school or dental school. I'm not only into art, I am an athlete as well. I play volleyball and softball and also participate in field majorettes and competition majorettes. I also do make up for drama club.

Prep Week Monday 21 - Friday 25 June 2010

The untouched wall of Legion Parkway Cleaners at 93 Legion Parkway, Brockton, MA.

Cleaning the wall

David, Nicki and Mercy scraping away at the loose paint.


Taking down the sign.

After patching holes and sealing cracks David, Blanca, and Mercy are spot priming the areas we opened up on the wall.

MURAL SKETCH

Brockton Shoe Industry Mural
Concept and sketch by Mural Team Artist Laura DeDonato

The mural’s narrative begins at the top left with future Brockton Mayor and Massachusetts Governor W.L. Douglas. He is depicted carrying rolls of leather back from Boston to make shoes in his one room factory. Douglas’s business expanded to six factories, with production peaking at 20,000 pairs of shoes a day.

Below him, there is a left and right shoe mold to symbolize Brockton’s Chandler Sprague’s innovation of making left and right shoes. Prior to this, shoes were constructed using the same shape for both feet and today are called “straights”.

Common cobbler tools found on shop benches transition the scene to a bird’s eye view of the Walk-Over Factories. To the right of the factories a man is working inside on machinery and the shoe line. A common male and female shoe style frame the machinery image.

To the upper right is the Campello Shoe Shop, where customers could purchase shoes from the factories. The young boy on the right is putting on his father’s shoes, perhaps ones made in the factories, and symbolizing the big shoes that the youth of the Brockton community must fill to help the city prosper again. The banner at the top and the flourishes around the border will match the classic early 1900 illustrated advertisement at the bottom right, where the artists will sign the mural.

Welcome

I'm looking forward to working with all of you this summer. We are going to do some great work. This blog will be a wonderful way to communicate with each other and document our progress. We will post pictures here and have discussions.

See you soon!
Ms. Shea